Enough is Enough, No Room for Negative Politics in Morton Grove

Today I receive a mailer from the Independent Party Candidates who are running for election on April 4, 2017. I found the mailer and its authors to be unbalanced and intentionally misleading, full of half-truths and mis-truths, and therefore feel the need to respond to this negative propaganda piece.

The first thing that jumped out at me (it's probably the CPA in me) was that the Village President, Dan DiMaria began receiving a $200. per month reimbursement in May of 2013. I asked a few questions about this and found out the following:

1. This amount was proposed and supported by the Independent Party candidate for Village President, Dan Staackman in 2013, as a way to reimburse the Village President for his/her expenses for Cell Phone, Internet Service, Printing Costs/Supplies, periodic replacement of Computer Equipment used at home for Village business, Automobile Expenses for travel to and from the many Village activities attended by the Village President each month, other expenses related to the duties of Village President;

2. The reason that this "Raise" was first received in May of 2013 is because it was passed by the Village Board, with Mr. Staackman's support, in April of 2013, for first implementation the following month, in May of 2013;

3. Most eye-opening was the statement that this $200. per month reimbursement represents a "27% annual compensation increase." That led me to discover that the annual compensation for the Village President is only $8,000. per year (which also includes his additional efforts as the Liquor Commissioner of the Village), which equates to $667. per month. At the current Cook County, Illinois Minimum Wage rate of $8.25 per hour, this $667. covers about 81 hours per month. Anyone who knows and has interactions with our current Village President, Dan DiMaria, knows that he spends at least 4-5 hours per day on Morton Grove business in meetings, telephone calls, online communications, communications with Village department heads, economic development efforts, communications with business owners, communications with citizens about issues of concern, etc. That is in addition to the time spent attending Village Board Regular and Special Meetings, and the substantial time that it takes to prepare for each of these meetings. Assuming that the Village President spends at least 150 hours per month on Village business, his compensation of $667. per month equates to hourly pay of $4.45 per hour.

This mailer also makes innuendo about contributions received by the Independent Party's opponents. Again, completely and intentionally misleading. According to the referenced Village of Morton Grove Ordinance (1-8-12), contributions to the Independent Party or its opponents cannot exceed $150. from certain donors. The Independent Party's opponents received a contribution in the amount of $500., which is what the Independent Party candidates hope you will focus on. What they failed to tell you (the intentionally misleading part) is that their opponent promptly turned this contribution over to the Morton Grove Foundation, thereby complying with the requirements of that same Morton Grove Ordinance (1-8-12 F. 5.), which instructs that contributions in excess of $150. do not violate the ordinance if the organization promptly takes action to give a gift of equal value to a tax-exempt organization.

Come on people, haven't we had enough of the negativity, the divisiveness, the intentional mis-truths? We have seen more than enough of that at the national level. We can be, and are better than that, in Morton Grove. Candidates should spend their time and efforts informing the voters of Morton Grove of their specific plans to help improve the residents' lives. To discuss how they will seek to bring people together to work collaboratively. To encourage new ideas and village-wide participation. This is much too important of a subject for us to settle for candidates that engage in faulty and intentionally misleading logic, passed off as fact. This is much too important of a subject for us to settle for candidates who fail to provide us with their plans and ideas for continuing to move Morton Grove forward. That is why I reject the propaganda contained in this mailer from the Independent Party, and support Dan DiMaria and each of the Action Party candidates seeking election/re-election on April 4, 2017. Thank you.

Anthony R. Hofeld,

Concerned Citizen, 30-Year Resident, Morton Grove Fire and Police Commissioner (15 years), District 70 School Board Member (1991 - 2013)